March Madness & Just Fishin’
I know that I am not alone when I say that I love March because NCAA basketball reaches the climax of competition to the degree that we call it madness. It is completely filled with so much excitement and stories of triumph that we sneak around the office trying catch a few minutes of a 1st or 2nd round game with teams we’ve scarcely heard of. Then we take our best shot at filling in the bracket sheets (I believe that you should only fill in one.)
So last night after the tournament selection show was over, I printed off four cop
ies of the newly released 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket and decided to make it a family event. We had dinner outside on the patio, then we laid out the ground rules and point system. We went region by region making our picks. My daughters would ask for input a few times but, for the most part, they made their own picks because they know Roy Williams is the best coach in the tourney.
We were about half way through the West Region when it dawned on me that there was more going on at that moment than we realized. My daughters thought they were just picking games and indulging dad while we all tracked the North Carolina Tarheels to a National Championship (I didn’t have to help them with that pick.) I realized that we were doing family life together…and it was important yet so simple.
We weren’t just picking games on br
acket sheet. We were doing something deeply spiritual. Any time parents can invest hours in relationship with their kids, it’s a spiritual moment.We had time to “mix it up” with our daughters and just enjoy the gift that God has given us in each other. We capped off the night with a parents vs. kids backyard soccer match which the parents lost 5-4. (No, I didn’t let them win. What kind of parent would do that?)
This morning, I reflected on last night and thought about Trace Adkins’ song “Just Fishin’” which describes his experience spending time with his daughter just fishin’. The chorus goes like this:
And she thinks we’re just fishin’ on the riverside
Throwin’ back what we couldn’t fry
Drownin’ worms and killin’ time
Nothin’ too ambitious
She ain’t even thinkin’ ‘bout
What’s really goin’ on right now
But I guarantee this memory’s a big’in
And she thinks we’re just fishin’
Don’t you think that too many times as parents we miss the small moments that end up being big memories? Our kids may not truly grasp what those moments mean, but we are making eternal deposits into shaping them towards the people that God has called them to be. Isn’t that the heart of Deuteronomy 6: 6-7? Capture every moment to tell them what’s important to God…even while you’re fishin’ or filling in bracket sheets.
Go Heels!
Is youth ministry biblical?
This is still the most frequent question that I am presented with everywhere I speak. Not every inquisition is antagonistic towards the discipline of local church youth ministry. However, every time the question is raised, I can’t help but become defensive. I’ve surrendered my life to equip leaders for the mission of reaching adolescents and their families with the Gospel of Christ and in pursuit of making disciples of every young person whose life has been rearranged by the saving work of Christ. So when the validity of youth ministry is challenged, my gut response is to come out swinging.
But, instead of arguing the issue, let’s look at the Bible and discover what it tells us in regards to adolescents and the Gospel mission. The HomeWord Center for Youth & Family, (Jim Burns, founder and president) responded to this question and their response offers a great perspective.
Youth groups are not in the Bible. But, keep in mind that just because something is not specifically commanded or found in the Bible does not make them anti-Biblical or inappropriate. Give it some thought. You can probably come up of lots of examples of how churches – their activities, groupings, things they use – aren’t specifically spelled out in the Bible – but are helpful in ful
filling Biblical mandates and principles.
Youth ministry is a legitimate, needed area of ministry for the church. The church is mandated biblically to motivate and care for the spiritual growth of all people (see Colossians 1:28). The church is also commanded to reach out to others with the good news of Jesus Christ and to teach everyone to obey His commandments (see Matthew 28:19). Adolescents are people included in these mandates. The Bible doesn’t envision that adolescents function apart from the inter-generational nature of the church. Believers, young and old, are all a part of the One Body of Christ and are necessary for its proper function (see 1 Corinthians 12). Yet, because of the cultural distinctiveness and legitimacy of adolescence as a unique time of life, a specialization of ministry to youth is in no way theologically forbidden. Consider a foreign mission analogy as an example: English speaking missionaries spend months – to years – getting to know foreign language and culture – so they can communicate the gospel in a way that foreign peoples will understand. They do not try to speak in English with people who don’t understand English. Similarly, youth culture is very much a separate sub-set of culture. It makes good missional and pastoral sense (see 1 Corinthians 9) to recognize and minister to the specific spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual and educational needs of adolescents.
Still, it must be said that there is no doubt that parents, not youth ministries, have the primary responsibility for raising kids (see Deuteronomy 6:6-9). Youth ministries should serve as partners with parents in equipping and caring for young people. (Note that while the practical direction of Deut. 6 is to parents – the address is given to “Hear, O Israel” – which also implies the support of the spiritual community.)
Churches and youth ministries, during our lifetime, have not always done a great job in supporting parents – and have at times have actually served to keep families apart and have not helped parents interact with their teenagers. Today, however, there is a fresh sense of the importance of family in the church and many youth ministries are helping to partner with families and parents in some very positive ways.
Having served as a youth pastor, it would not surprise me at all that a student would come and share a problem that he/she
had not previously shared with his/her parents. In the situation you noted about a pregnant girl in the youth group, a wise
youth pastor should handle the situation with respect and care. A youth pastor ought to help the girl to see the need to speak
with her parents about the issue – and would provide her with the support she needs to do so. The wise parent should
consider the youth pastor as a resource and partner to provide the entire family with needed support during a difficult time. (Original response can be found here.)
Does the Bible recognize or address the spiritual needs of young people? Consider Joseph, Gideon, David, Josiah, the disciples, and even Jesus in his early years. While every record of these biblical examples does not prescribe local church youth ministry, they do reveal patterns, to be mimicked, of how we should relate to and nurture the spiritual growth of young people.
In addition, we cannot ignore the biblical mandate to evangelize and disciple. Since the inception of the public schools in the early 20th century, we have been living among a new human called an adolescent. Adolescence has defined a culture of young people that includes systems of stylized beliefs, behavior, language, and customs unique to young people. But, I would assert that adolescence is not a destination. It is a time of transition and growth into adulthood. Don’t ignore the reality that of those who come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, the majority continue to do so at a young age. Culturally, the church must be intentional in reaching young people cross-culturally during these responsive years. Youth ministry is missional!
But the most recent concern in the church has been the observable disconnect between young people and their parents.
As mentioned in the HomeWord response above, I hold that there is a dual responsibility in the spiritual growth and education of our children (refer back to Deuteronomy 6). Pastoral leaders should become a trusted resource for parents in the areas of youth culture and adolescents struggles while not co-opting parental roles and authority. Youth ministry leaders have to consistently direct young people back to their parents for guidance, advice, and help in every situation possible. Church leaders must seek to equip parents in their divine role. In a similar fashion, parents should consistently encourage their children to learn from wise, spiritual adults in the church. This is the New Testament model of discipleship with the older more mature saint teaching the younger.
The last thing that I want to add is that Jesus set the tone for how the church is to connect with young people and children. Jesus quickly corrected his disciples and instructed them to clear the way and let children come to him. He also said that if an adult wants to come to him, they must become a child. (see Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:15)
Youth ministry is biblical because it carries out the ministry of the Gospel to reach the lost and teach them to obey all that Christ has commanded us.
Related resources:
Youth Ministry in the Church Today (audio) – R. Albert Mohler, David Adams, Jimmy Scroggins
Debunking the Dropout Myth – Timothy Paul Jones
Ready, Set, Go: Strategies for Equipping Parents (audio) – Steve Wright
How to Use Milestones in Your Church to Equip Families (audio) – Bryan Haynes
How to Be a Hero to Parents in Your Church (audio) – Jim Burns
Never Stop Learning, Never Stop Growing
Have you come to the realization yet that the older you get, the less you know? Or maybe it’s the more you know, the more there is to learn? Either way, humility finds us all. After a few decades of schooling, I am more aware that there’s a ton of stuff that I don’t know.
The idea that we can arrive and reach the learning ceiling is absent from every biblical principle from Genesis to Revelation. I think the most obvious passage that comes to my mind is from Philippians 3:12. No one would disagree that Paul’s life was remarkable (and that’s an understatement).
But this verse reveals that Paul’s goal was to never stop growing in his knowledge of & fellowship with Christ until the Lord called him home to glory. This goal was enveloped in his high calling found only in Christ. That’s why I am convinced that no disciple of Jesus Christ can ever say that they have completed their learning and training…ever! We are found most faithful when we pursue the high calling and keep growing in our knowledge of & fellowship with Christ.
Youth & family ministry is ever morphing and sending new challenges to church leaders. My admonishment is that we never stop learning and growing in our high calling until our Lord calls us to glory. With so many ways to access digital resources, there’s no excuse for neglecting your growth in your calling.
Resources in youth & family ministry abound, yet are sometimes just out of reach (meaning not always free). I want to encourage you to tap into 18 audio sessions from reInvent 2011, our conference for youth & family ministry leaders. Pass them on to your leadership team. Spend time talking through the key points and be challenged & encouraged to keep learning and growing. With one stop, you’ll find encourage and training from leading voices in youth & family ministry on topics like:
re:Invent November 4-5, 2011
Is your youth ministry relevant to the church today? Is your church relevant to youth ministry today?
These are questions that we must always be willing to ask. Now, we’re not talking about the kind of relevance that caters to particular preference but one that consistently evaluates Great Commission effectiveness…then evaluates it again and again.
When youth culture changes, the local church youth ministry has a responsibility to lead teenagers and their parents toward a response based on the truth of God’s Word. But what do we do when the cultural changes involve intense assaults on the family, radical changes in methods of communication, ever-shortening attention spans, and a shift in temporary values? How should local church youth ministry respond?
The world of adolescents is a different animal than it was in 1987 when I graduated high school. (Two decades from now it will look completely different again.) There are methods that have remained effective in discipling teenagers and strengthening parents’ ability to lead the spiritual growth of their children. But there also methods that need to be filed away for the memory video at retirement.
Experts have said that youth culture changes at a blinding speed. Some would say that we can see significant cultural changes in youth culture every 6 months while others would pin it down to 6 to12 weeks. In either case, youth culture changes at a pace that dizzies the mind of any adult.
So, with that as the backdrop, we ask the question, “Is youth ministry effectively reaching teenagers and their families today?”
What does the Bible teach us about the primary purpose of youth ministry? Throughout the last half of the 20th century the church struggled with how to handle teenagers both inside the church and outside the church. Philosophy of youth ministry has been at the center of that struggle. But has youth ministry changed to meet the needs of today’s teenager and their parents?
You can also find registration and conference info at events.sbts.edu/reinvent
You can also find registration and conference info at events.sbts.edu/reinvent
re:invent, a youth and family ministry conference, will equip you to become more effective in leading transformational youth and family ministries in the local church. It will also equip your youth ministry volunteers to practice effective ministry with teenagers and their families while unifying your team for maximum effectiveness.
re:invent will host nationally respected leaders in youth and family ministry that will challenge you and will encourage you to be faithful to the task of reaching and discipling teenagers and their families.
Dr. David Adams, Professor of Youth Ministry, Boyce College; Associate Director – The International Center for Youth & Family Ministry
laying the foundation for effective youth ministry: a youth ministry strategy
Start from the beginning and build a vision for youth ministry that is biblically based and Great Commission focused. You will be equipped with a timeless strategy for local church youth ministry.
Dr. Gary Almon, Assistant Professor of Christian Education, Boyce College; Associate Director – The International Center for Youth & Family Ministry
kids hurt, Christ heals: ministering to teens in crisis (breakout session one only)
The American teenager is in crisis. The changing influences of our culture produce positive and negative impact on every young person. How do we view these influences through the biblical standards and principles? The youth minister must be equipped to recognize root problems and develop a meaningful strategy for helping the hurting teenager.
a theology of youth ministry (breakout session two only)
Youth ministry is many things…challenging, enthusiastic, cross-cultural, exciting, discipling, evangelizing. Before it can be anything, it must be theological. Learn how youth ministry is a vivid expression of biblical mandates and how your youth ministry must connect with those commands in practical ways.
Jeff Borton, Pastor of Students at Christ Fellowship, Miami, FL
mobilizing your students to be on mission…everywhere!
21st century teenagers are cause oriented. They are driven to respond to global needs and meet the real needs of people around them. Hear how you can develop a student movement to carry the Gospel to hurting people while meeting real needs.
Dr. Chad Brand, Professor of Christian Theology, Boyce College & Southern Seminary
helping your students navigate the landscape of American spirituality
Secular American culture is rampant with spiritual pursuits that are anything but biblical. In this pluralistic climate that teenagers are swimming in, how can you lead them effectively to understand what is not the truth? Help your teenagers see through the maze of false spirituality and be equipped to give answer for the hope that is within them.
Dr. Daniel Broyles, Executive Pastor of Youth & Family Ministry at Buck Run Baptist Church, Frankfort,
from ideas to execution: aligning your strategy with your resources
Take your vision to new heights by aligning your resources with your ministry strategy. Don’t miss the mark by spending energy on efforts that don’t propel the vision of local church youth ministry while depleting resources from those most critical.
Dr. Jim Burns, President of HomeWord; Executive Director of the HomeWord Center for Youth & Family at Azusa Pacific University.
how to be a hero to parents in your church (breakout session one only)
What are the basics of good parenting and how can youth leaders help? To counter the usual trial-and error methods of parenting, find time-tested advice and strategies for today’s families. This session will help youth pastors and parents understand what it means to parent teenagers successfully.
Mark DeVries, Associate Pastor for Youth & Families, First Presbyterian Church, Nashville, TN; Founder of Youth Ministry Architects
sustainable youth ministry
What would it take to build a youth ministry that withstands the revolving door of youth ministers? Pinpoint the problems that cause division and burnout then learn practical tools and structures needed to lay a strong foundation for youth and family ministry—one that isn’t built solely on a person.
Dr. Dan DeWitt, Dean of Boyce College at Southern Seminary
reaching the skeptics in your student ministry
How do we know that God exists? Is the Bible really true? If God is good, then why did my parents get divorced? Teenagers are filled with questions. Then there are teenagers who don’t believe Christianity is true. They question the existence of God, the deity of Christ, the resurrection, and validity of the Bible. This session will equip you with answers and strategies for reaching the skeptics in your youth ministry.
Kelly Knouse, Student Pastor, Idlewild Baptist Church, Tampa, FL
intentional youth ministry…how programs accomplish the mission of your student ministry
Youth ministry has seen many changes in the 21st century. One thing that hasn’t changed is the need for effective programs. Youth ministry is so much more than activities and events. These programs are necessary, but must be purposeful. As a youth minister, you must intentionally design programs that accomplish the mission of the youth ministry. Purposeful programs are powerful programs. Streamline your youth ministry while maximizing your effectiveness.
Matt Lawson, High School Pastor, First Baptist Church, Woodstock, GA
building an effective youth ministry leadership team
Youth ministers are called to live out Ephesians 4:12 every day. Equipping the body to serve requires and active, intentional strategy that must recruit, train, and place believers in positions to serve the mission of the church. Gain critical principles and strategies for developing a labor force that will effectively disciple teenagers and equip them for the mission.
Dr. Walt Mueller, Founder and President of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding
Download: teaching teens to filter their media choices
Whether kids are 8 or 18, popular music serves as a soundtrack and guide to their journey from childhood into adulthood. This seminar will focus on the world of popular music and the powerful role it plays in students’ lives while providing informative and practical principles that can be applied to all popular media. You will be challenged and equipped to think and respond in a Christian way to today’s music and media as you’re trained with practical tools you can use to teach the kids to do the same.
Dr. Alvin Reid, Professor of Evangelism and Student Ministry, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC
leading your students to reach their friends with the Gospel
Keep the main thing, the main thing. The Gospel changes everything and you can equip your teenagers to see God change their peers from the inside out. Learn how to effectively equip and encourage your students to share the Gospel with their friends and see God turn your youth ministry upside down.
Phil Rice, Minister of Youth at Shively Baptist Church, Louisville, KY
navigating youth ministry landmines & living to tell about it
Youth ministry is the greatest position in the local church…hands down! It’s also one of the most tenuous positions. Why? Youth ministers face challenges to serve students and their families as well as lead their own families. Leadership for the youth minister does not come without its landmines. But how do you avoid or survive those landmines?
Wayne Rice, Pastor to Generations at College Avenue Baptist Church, San Diego, CA
how to enjoy parenting teenagers (breakout session two only)
Someone else may know the Bible better or they may be a better mentor, but no one knows your teenager better than you. With a multiplicity of influences in your teenager’s spiritual life, no one is in a better position to lead your teenager to a living and active faith in Christ than you. This session will challenge parents of teenagers to enjoy their role as primary spiritual caregiver.
Randy Smith, President/Founder of Youth Ministry International, Louisville, KY
international student ministry…in your community
The world is young. Young people remain the most receptive to the message of the Gospel. How are you equipping teenagers to reach the world right in their community and in their schools? This session will help you see the harvest around you and give you a strategy for sending your students into the mission field both domestically and internationally.
Dr. Randy Stinson, Dean of the School of Church Ministries, Southern Seminary, Louisville, KY
what parents need from local church youth ministry
Youth ministry’s mission is to see teenagers mature spiritual in their walk with Christ. Youth ministers use a variety of resources to accomplish that mission. But youth ministers must not overlook the greatest resource in the discipleship process…parents. Find out what parents really need from youth ministers that will propel your ministry of discipleship with teenagers.
Rick Young, Middle School Pastor, First Baptist Church, Woodstock, GA
building a small group curriculum plan
We all teach in our Sunday School, small group discipleship programs. But if we have a teenager from 6th grade through 12th grade, what should they know about God, the Bible, and the faith when the graduate? How do we lay out a strategy to train our teenagers to be lifelong disciples? What are the resources that will help us get there? Here’s a practical process to help you answer those questions and more.
Musical Guest
Kristian Stanfill
www.kristianstanfill.com
Dr. Troy Temple, Executive Director of The International Center for Youth & Family Ministry; Associate Professor of youth & Family Ministry, Southern SeminaryConnecting Church and Home
It seems crazy to name a conference “Connecting Church & Home.” Maybe you didn’t realize that they weren’t connected. The reality is that many of us as parents rely solely on the ministry of the local church to teach and train our sons and daughters what it means to be followers of Christ. While discipleship is a biblical mandate for the church, scripture does not relieve us of the responsibility to disciple our children at home. The church is our partner in this great ministry of discipleship.
Join us here at Southern Seminary for a day and a half of being challenged to lead our homes and churches in growing true disciples.
To Gap or Not To Gap
Over the last 3 years there has been a growing burden among many leaders in youth ministry regarding extended missions experiences for students after high school and before they enter college. There is no doubt that if we are making disciples, we must send them out to “do the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). The hard truth is felt when we ask to what extent do we expect them to go in doing this work as disciples of Jesus Christ.
While there is really no universal prescription, we can be confident that all followers of Christ have been commanded to go.God is a missionary God. The Bible is filled from cover to cover with missionary stories, from Jonah to Paul and his friends. Mission activity is not merely God’s method for cross-cultural Great Commission work. It is also His tool to draw His servants closer to Himself. Mission trips can be a mighty tool in your youth ministry to produce Great Commission, world Christians.
- It will broaden their burden and give them a global perspective.
- It will help them see their potential ministry possibilities.
- It will build their faith like “crazy” (technical term).
- It will confirm their consecration as God’s instrument for God’s purposes.
But the impact doesn’t stop there. The local church will be changed. This strategic initiative will expand the vision of each member and give them a world perspective on the Great Commission in new ways. Those who support through prayer and giving will see their faith grow. But more importantly, the local church will become the biblical sending body that she is commanded to be.
In the end, the deepest impact may be felt on the mission field itself. Evangelistic efforts will increase exponentially and career missionaries will be encouraged in their labors.
I challenge parents, church leaders, and students to radically consider what God would have them do. The recent dialogue around the “gap year” strategy has turned the wheels of my ministry imagination with the simple question, “what if?” There’s more than a dozen ways to address this. My challenge to parents, teens, and church leaders is that we become proactive. Stop dancing with the road blocks to obedience and map out a strategy for sending our children on mission. Richard Ross, Professor of Student Ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has suggested that parents and/or grandparents open missions accounts for their children or grandchildren. Maybe you should plan a family mission trip and live out the Great Commission together.
Last week, I received an email from my friend Steve Wright telling me about a ministry that is designed to mobilize 18-25 year old students for global missions through a 2 year US/2 year abroad strategy while getting their degree. Check out Trek-X and start being intentional. The question really isn’t “To gap or not to gap?” The real question is “To go or not to go? The answer to that question is unmistakeable in view of Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8.
Professor, Writer, Speaker, Trainer, Missionary
